Looking for winter desserts with a little something extra? Think smiling snowman cupcakes, candy cane brownies and cakes covered in pretty holiday details.
These ideas include Christmas treats plus fruit desserts and chocolate-filled spoonfuls you can enjoy beyond the holidays.
You can keep things simple or go all out with decorations. I especially love the tiny marshmallow snowmen.
From iced cookies to a whole cupcake wreath, there’s plenty here to inspire your next dessert table.
Winter Dessert Ideas Worth Saving
smiling cookies and snowflakes
We’re starting off strong with these adorable iced cookies. I love the little smiles on the gingerbread-shaped people and the white branches across the snowflakes.
Try a mix of people, snowflakes and candy cane shapes for your own cookie tray. White icing ties them together without needing lots of different colors.
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fruit crumble and a big scoop
If you’d rather skip the decorations, this one is for you. Sliced fruit sits beneath a golden crumble topping with visible oats and a generous scoop of ice cream.
I’d serve individual portions in shallow bowls so there’s room for both the crumble and that lovely scoop.
candy cane brownies
How cute are these brownies? Not gonna lie, those red-and-white candy pieces make the whole tray feel festive!
The cracked tops still show between the larger chunks and tiny candy crumbs.
Keep this topping idea in mind for your favorite brownie recipe.
powdered doughnut snowmen
I am obsessed with these little doughnut snowmen. The red scarves are so cute against the powdered white doughnuts.
Each figure has three doughnuts lined up along a skewer, with dark dots making the face. For a similar look, you could use strips of red candy for the scarves.
hot cocoa-style cupcakes
Who wouldn’t want a cupcake dressed up like a little cup of cocoa? These dark cupcakes have tall swirls of light brown frosting with marshmallows piled on top.
The red-and-white striped straws finish the look. If you use decorative straws too, remove them before eating.
cranberries and pale icing
This cake may just be one of my favorites here. I love the red cranberries against the pale icing, especially with that snowy dusting over the top.
The cut slice shows a yellow cake with red fruit tucked near the upper edge. Serve yours on a plain white plate if you want the same pretty presentation.
sticky toffee pudding bowls
Don’t want to pipe frosting or decorate cookies? No problem!
This sticky toffee pudding is served straight from an oval baking dish, with amber sauce showing beneath the scooped-out portion.
The little bowls with ice cream are a lovely serving idea. You don’t need a fancy platter for this one.
a tray of cocoa toppings
If you are looking for a treat-filled addition to your dessert table, then this one is for you. There’s so much to choose from, including marshmallows, striped wafer rolls, chocolate squares and candy canes.
I love the little jars tucked into the round tray. Keep any alcoholic additions separate and clearly labeled if you’re setting up a similar spread.
little fruit pastry squares
These little pastries are so pretty! The fruit slices fan out inside raised golden edges, with a light white dusting across the tops.
Keep the overlapping slices in mind if you’re making individual fruit tarts. It’s a lovely detail without adding a separate decoration.
snowman face cupcakes
How sweet are these snowman faces? The white topping has a sparkly, snowy look, with tiny dark eyes and smiles around orange noses.
You could use mini chocolate chips and orange icing to decorate your own version. I’d keep the faces slightly different, just like these.
cinnamon apples
If you love fruit desserts without a pastry base, save these cinnamon apples. The thick slices sit in a glossy brown sauce, with little speckles showing across the fruit.
Try serving a spoonful alongside vanilla ice cream or a slice of plain cake. Either would give that sauce somewhere to go.
marshmallow snowmen with pink bows
OMG, how adorable are these snowmen? I am obsessed with the little pink bows and skinny black arms.
The marshmallow heads sit on smooth white domes, with black buttons down the front. If you’re borrowing this decoration for another dessert, don’t forget the tiny dotted smiles.
holly garlands and piped swirls
This is one to save if you love a decorated celebration cake. The two tiers have cream-colored piping, green garlands and little red berries all around them.
My favorite part is the lower tier with its green swags and red bows. You could borrow just that detail for a smaller single-tier cake.
golden-tipped lemon meringue
Want a little yellow on your winter dessert table? This lemon meringue pie has a bright filling beneath a tall white topping, with golden streaks across the swirls.
Read also: 20 Friendsgiving Desserts and Sweet Table Ideas to Save
I love how clearly you can see the crust, filling and meringue in the cut slice. This one doesn’t need any extra holiday decorations.
layered peppermint bark
The red-and-white candy pieces are back, but this time they’re scattered over peppermint bark. I love the pale top layer above the dark chocolate-colored base.
Stack a few pieces at different angles on your serving plate to show off both layers. The uneven candy chunks are worth keeping.
salted caramel bread pudding
Just look at that caramel sauce! This salted caramel bread pudding has overlapping slices with browned edges and sauce running across the top.
Read also: 19+ Creative S'mores Variations That Steal the Show
A small pitcher sits beside the baking dish. That’s a serving detail I’d copy so everyone can add a little more to their portion.
iced spiral rolls
I love these little spiral rolls with the pale topping pooled around them. Some of the dark swirls stay uncovered, which makes the whole dish look even prettier.
The pumpkins give this photo an autumn setting. For a winter table, you could keep the rolls and swap the surrounding decorations for snowflake napkins and a simple mug.
chocolate lava cake
This one is for the chocolate fans. A red serving spoon lifts a piece of dark cake from the cooker, with glossy chocolate sauce spilling into the opening.
I’d keep the serving simple with small bowls. You could add a scoop of ice cream, but that chocolate-filled center already gives you plenty to look forward to.
deep red pears in dessert glasses
If you want something a little different from cookies and cupcakes, save this presentation. Whole deep red pears sit in stemmed glasses with dark sauce, red berries and pale dollops underneath.
Read also: 20+ Genius Baking Ideas That Transform Your Kitchen
The stems are left on, which looks so pretty. Try wide dessert glasses if you want to show off the fruit in the same way.
green cupcake wreaths
Last but definitely not least, we have these adorable cupcake wreaths. I love the green frosting swirls and those big red bows!
The cupcakes form open rings decorated with white snowflakes, candy cane shapes and tiny gingerbread figures. Arrange your own cupcakes in a circle before decorating if you want to follow this display.
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And as you know, I seriously love seeing your takes on the looks and ideas on here - that means the world to me! If you recreate something, please share it here in the comments or feel free to send me a pic. I'm always excited to meet y'all! ✨🤍
Xoxo Emily